What Happens Next?
by wish i c0uld
Summary: PostTLO. Percy is 18 and graduating from Goode High. When he and Annabeth have to return to Camp Half-Blood, they get sent on a quest that could trigger the Next Great Prophecy. And what will Percy do now that he's done with high school? HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, so this is not my first fic, but it is my first PJO fic, so humor me please. I love the series and I liked the ending of TLO, but I didn't want to leave it at that. I kinda felt like there weren't enough Percy/Annabeth interactions and I wanted to know what would happen to camp afterwards so I'm making this story to fulfill my wishes. **

**As I write this first Chapter, I'm not exactly sure where the story is going to go yet, but I have a general idea. If anyone has an thoughts or ideas for the prophecy that they aren't writing about themselves, then pm me or something. The first 2 or 3 chapters should come up relatively quick(within a week or so), but updates afterwards might come slower. I'll usually try to make my chapters at least 1,000 words long(not including A/Ns).**

**The reason it is rated T is because though the characters will remain much the same as they were in the series, its been two years since we last saw Percy and the gang. Most of the main characters have probably changed and matured. As a result of this, some of the material will be more mature as well. I doubt that my writing will ever go into an M rated category, but eventually, there might be some suggestive themes and or swear words(though probably not a lot. I doubt Percy and everyone have changed that much). I will warn you at the beginning of a chapter if things get too mature or suggestive, but I promise that it won't get too bad. **

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, or any other characters that have been mentioned in the PJO series before, but I do own any OCs that come up in my story. This disclaimer is for the rest of the story so I won't have to keep putting it up._**

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**Sorry for the SUPER long author's note, I promise they won't usually be this long. So without further ado, here is the story.**

Chapter 1: I Get a Call from a Mythical Creature

You know there's something wrong when a centaur calls your house on the morning of your graduation. I was upstairs sleeping, which is what I do about a third of the day(being invincible is really tiring), when the call came.

"Percy, there's a phone call for you," my mother called from downstairs. I jogged downstairs to meet my mom in the kitchen where she was feeding my 2 year old half brother and sister. I patted them both on the head, and kissed my mother on the cheek before picking up the phone.

"Hello," I said into the receiver.

"Percy?" asked a familiar deep voice.

"Chiron?" _I wonder what's going on._

"Yes."

"What do you need?"

"I know this is a bad time, but I thought I should warn you." He paused, hesitating. _Oh no, _I thought. _Not Today!_ "Rachel has been having strange dreams and visions."

"Rachel is having visions? Is she at camp already?" We weren't due back at camp for a few more days, so this was unexpected.

"They are not so much visions. More like glimpses. Nothing definite, but there has been an increase in monster activity within the past week or so. And recently we have had many halfbloods on their way to camp...disappear. Along with their satyr guides. I have consulted Nico and he has informed that there has not been a large influx of demigods into the underworld, so they aren't dead. But we simply can't find them. Rachel decided to come back to camp early since her graduation has already passed. These glimpses have her worried especially with all these other unusual occurrences."

Well that was weird. After defeating Kronos, monster attacks hadn't gone down so much as they had returned to normal(they had gone up when the war was on). I didn't get attacked to much anymore since I was pretty much invincible, but every so often I would still run into a stray Empousai or Laistrygonian. And I know survival rate for demigods had risen slightly. I desperately hoped that if anything were to happen, it wouldn't happen today.

"Okay, thanks Chiron. I'll be on the lookout. We probably shouldn't talk much longer or we'll start attracting monsters." I was about to hang up when I had a last minute thought. "Chiron, why didn't you just Iris Message me?"

"Actually, there have been a few problems with Iris Messages of late." I could practically hear the frown in is voice. "Someone has been tampering with her system, so I thought it would be best to talk to you the mortal way. I wouldn't want to cause you trouble, so I'll let you go now. See you in a few days Percy."

"Bye," I said and was about to hang up when I heard Chiron call out from the phone.

"Oh, and Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations on graduating." I smiled.

"Thanks. See you."

I hung up the phone, and turned to find my mom staring at me. "Is anything wrong Percy?" she asked with a worried look on her face.

I put on my best smile. "Don't worry about it mom. Chiron was just calling to congratulate me." At least it wasn't a complete lie.

Her face was skeptical, but she didn't push it. It was silent for a few moments before my sister Adara started banging on the table. My brother Adrien soon joined in. My mother smiled then, and the tension was broken. I yawned and was about to go back upstairs to sleep when I noticed the time.

"What? It's already 1:36?" I said panicking.

"Yes honey. Didn't you know that? I thought you were already getting ready," she said in a questioning voice.

I paused momentarily and gave her a sheepish look. Realization dawned on her, and I didn't have to tell her I'd been sleeping.

"Percy," she chided gently, giving him a reproving look. She wasn't too harsh on me since she knew the whole being invincible thing made me tired all the time. "It doesn't matter anyhow. The ceremony doesn't start until 4; you've got plenty of time."

"I know, but I promised I'd pick Annabeth up at 2:30. We were going to stop for a snack or something."

"Oh. Well then you'd better hurry. I think Paul just got out of the shower, so go ahead." I thanked her quickly and ran up the stairs, and started getting ready.

After a quick shower, I threw on some slacks, a button up shirt, a tie, and my nice shoes. Not exactly good for a fight, but I had to look nice for graduation. I debated a little before deciding to put riptide in my pocket. Better to be safe than sorry. I quickly ran a comb through my hair, but it didn't really help. My hair wasn't as messy as it used to be, but it was still as untameable. On my way out I grabbed my cap and gown, threw them over my arm, and got my car keys. Glancing at the clock I grimaced. 2:10. Hopefully there was no traffic or else I'd probably be a little late.

Rushing down the stairs I almost ran into Paul. "Woah there Percy. What's the rush?"

"Gotta go pick up Annabeth."

He nodded knowingly. "I see. Alright I guess we'll see you at the ceremony."

I went into the kitchen and kissed the twins heads before giving my mom a hug. "See you at the ceremony, Mom."

"Okay, sweetie. And don't eat too much if you two go out. You know we want to have a family dinner afterwards," she called just as I walked out the front door.

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**A/N: Please Review! I know there wasn't that much going on in the first chapter, but I just wanted to reintroduce you into Percy's life since we haven't been with him for almost 3 years. I promise there will be more exciting stuff in the next chapter, along with some Percabeth. As you can see, Percy's mom and Paul got married and had twins, Adara and Adrien, who turned 2 about a month before the story takes place. Annabeth graduated already, but she is still temporarily living in the dorms at her boarding school until she goes back to camp in the next few days. That's about all you need to know, but if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, go ahead and PM me. If I can tell you without revealing to much of the general plot, then I will.**

**Also, as I said earlier, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to work the prophecy out. I can figure how most of it is going o work, but the only part I'm unsure of is _"To storm or fire the world must fall."_I don't really know what to do about that, so if you guys have any ideas that I could use, then please tell me. I will be so grateful, and you will be credited for them, I promise. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you liked it. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and feedback. I hope this chapter satisfies your need for percabeth. I'm adding a bit more detail to this chapter since it was suggested by a couple of you, so hear it goes. Oh and sorry for the late update. I was really busy yesterday.**

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Chapter 2: I Pick up my Genius Girlfriend

The door shut behind me and I walked down to the end of the block where my used silver CR-V was parked against the curb. I had gotten it late last year after saving a few years birthday and Christmas money and working a few part time jobs. The paint was slightly faded, but I had managed to keep monster damage to a minimum, and the leather seats had some cracks, though they were still pretty comfy. All in all, a pretty good car.

I got in, threw my gown and cap into the back seat, and jammed my keys into the ignition. After starting the car, I pulled out into the street, throwing a quick glance at the clock. 2:16. I groaned. There wasn't that much traffic but I would still be about 10 minutes late. As I weaved in and out of traffic in a futile attempt to go faster I thought about these new glimpses or visions Rachel had been seeing. What did they mean for me? For Annabeth? For Camp Half Blood? Things had finally settled down. Would we be ready to handle another big threat?

I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. I really didn't need this today. I was probably reading too much into it anyway. I guess living in peace after fighting so long kind of made me paranoid.

I didn't want to seem too anxious when I met Annabeth, so instead I thought about how much things had changed since the great war. I was still getting used to being an older brother. After Adara and Adrien were born, we moved into an actual house, and my mother stopped working to be a stay at home mom. We were tight on money for a little while since Paul was the only one with a real job(I only worked part time), but she finally got her book published which helped pay the bills. Although, some of the money I earned still went to buying the groceries.

Some of the changes were physical, too. I had grown taller in the last 2 and a half years, and I wasn't as lanky as I used to be. Sure, I didn't have the body of Adonis, but I did make an effort to stay in shape even though I'm invulnerable.

I started thinking about Annabeth, too. We saw each other almost every weekend, and occasionally on weekdays, usually stopping by Mount Olympus to see how her designs were coming along. They were coming along very well, and the gods were pretty pleased with her work, although Ares and Aphrodite did complain a few times that there weren't enough statues of them.

I didn't really mind following her around, just glad we could spend some time together. I smiled thinking about how shy we used to be about our feelings. Individually, we hadn't changed that much since then, but our relationship had grown more... intimate, I guess. I wasn't embarrased anymore when we showed outward signs of affection in public, though I did try to save kissing for when we were alone. I didn't usually feel awkward anymore sharing my feelings with her, and niether did she, since we both had turned down some offers that were pretty big just to be together. Every now and then we still wanted to rip each other's heads off, but for the most part we were content.

I was pulled out of my musings as I turned into the parking lot of Annabeth's boarding school. I quickly parked the car and walked over to the office in the dorm area. Reaching the front desk, I asked the secretary for a pass. She knew me from the numerous times I had come to visit Annabeth over the last couple of years, so she didn't bother printing me a pass, waving her hand at me and indicating I could go ahead. On her desk, I saw a digital clock that read 2:37.

I ran up the stairs 2 at a time, unwilling to wait for the elevator. Stopping at the 6th floor, I briskly walked to her room and rapped on the door a few times as I caught my breath. Annabeth's roomate, Meg, came to the door.

"Well it's about time you showed up. I swear she was about to start playing with her laptop if you took any longer," she said in her dull voice. She paused and looked me up and down. "Huh. You actually look nice today." She said it like she was surprised, but I was too embarrassed to be offended.

"Thanks... I think? And sorry," I said, mumbling the last part. "I was sleeping."

I heard a loud sigh come from the inside of the room, followed by a light voice saying, "Typical Seaweed Brain." I could practically see her rolling her eyes, even though she wasn't in sight.

A moment later she came to the door stepping around Meg and coming to stand by me. "We'll have to excuse him Meg. His head is so full of kelp, he has a hard time functioning most of the time." Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

Meg looked at us skeptically before muttering, "You guys are weird," and closing the door, leaving me and Annabeth alone in the hallway.

"Hey," I began turning to face her, and I caught my breath. Now that I actually stopped to look at her, I could see how nice she looked. Annabeth rarely wore anything other than jeans or shorts, and she really didn't like dressing up. Today was one of those rare times as she stood before my in a plain white sun dress with some silver owls embroidered near the hem that matched her silver owl earrings. It fell just past her knees, and her hair was down, her golden locks tumbling down right below her shoulders. She had passed over the idea of wearing high heels, instead opting for a pair of sturdy yet nice looking white flats, which I was suddenly glad for. If we did get into a fight today, I would try to keep her away from the worst of it, but she would probably get some action, and heels aren't exactly the ideal shoes to wear when you're fighting giant monsters. I didn't realize I was staring at her until she snapped her fingers in my face.

"Hello, Earth to Percy," she said waving her finger dramatically in front of my face. I snapped out of my trance, and she directed a questioning gaze at me.

"What are you staring at Seaweed Brain?"

"Uh... I was just... You look..." I paused in my stuttering, searching for the right word. Before I could continue, Annabeth cut in.

"I look what Seaweed Brain?" she said in a tight voice, red spots of anger flaring up high on her cheeks. Then she began talking so fast that I could barely understand what she was saying. "Look I know its too much, but you said look nice, so I tried. You know I don't like dressing up, so I'm sorry if it doesn't look nice, but I just wanted to-" she paused in her rambling when I put my finger against her lips.

"I was going to say that you look beautiful," I said in a calm voice. Her expression turned soft, but her cheeks remained red, now in embarrassment.

"Oh," was all she could say. I smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back, the tension and embarrassment evaporating in an instant.

She leaned up to kiss me on the cheek, and said, "Thanks Seaweed Brain." This time it was more a term of endearment than a playful insult.

My hand found hers and we took the elevator back down, finding our way back to my car. As we were getting in, I checked my watch again. 2:51. Graduates actually had to be at the ceremony early, sometime around 3:30.

"Sorry Wise Girl. I don't think we have time to grab a snack anymore."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine. Your mom invited me to have dinner with you guys afterwards anyway, so lets just go."

I nodded and started the car with high spirits, but as we turned out of the parking lot, I had the strangest sensation of being watched.

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**A/N: I hope you liked it. I tried to put in as much Percabeth, without losing the essence of the characters. They will continue to change as you get further into the story, but keep in mind that they've grown a lot. High school does that to you. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am SOOOO sorry for the extremely late update! First I got dumped with several huge end of the year projects, one after the other, and then I got sick. In fact, I'm still sick and I still have some projects due. But I know I need to give you this next SUPEREXTRA long chapter to hold you off for a little while. So anyway, here it is. More Percabeth, but some action mixed in too. Hope you like it! And thanks for all the reviews.**

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Chapter 3: Graduation is a Blast-Literally

Goode High was closer to Annabeth's school than my house, so we got there at about 3:13, leaving us a few minutes of extra time. Considering this would be my last day at this place, I thought about taking one final walk around the school. Annabeth consented, both of us getting out of my car and starting towards the double door entrance to the school.

Unconsciously our hands entertwined again as we entered the school. I lead her around, taking her on a tour of the school. Though she had been there a few times over the years, she listened intently as I told her of all the happenings in my high school.

Surprisingly I felt a small sadness, like I would be missing the place. I realized that this was one of my only ties to the normal world, the other being my family, and saying goodbye was kind of hard. I couldn't stay with my family forever, so I really didn't know where I was going to go now. Annabeth squeezed my hand and I looked at her. She knew me too well and had noticed that I was having a hard time letting go, offering me support and comfort through her silence.

I realized she must have felt the same way during her graduation, so I drew her into the circle of my arms, burying my face in her golden locks.

"It doesn't change anything," she whispered into my shoulder. "We still have camp. We still have our families. And... we still have each other. Things will work out." She sounded so sure of herself, I couldn't doubt her. We stood like that for a few moments, and then I pulled back to meet her stormy gray eyes.

Slowly the space between our faces closed, as she brought her lips up to meet mine in a deep loving kiss. It could have been an instant, or an eternity before we broke apart to the sound of exaggerated throat-clearing down the hall.

I turned my head to see my World History teacher, Mr. Gibbs, standing with his arms crossed, a look of amusement plain on his face. Of all the teacher's I had had at Goode, Mr. Gibbs was one of my favorites. We had spent a lot of time on Greek and Roman mythology in his class and, of course, I did pretty well in those subjects. Plus he was just a cool teacher in general.

"Jackson! Shouldn't you be with the other seniors," he said feigning a stern expression. "Besides, the school hallways are closed."

I grinned at him sheepishly, my sadness having been forgotten. Annabeth and I broke apart as I turned to face him, though our hands stayed connected. "Sorry Mr. Gibbs. Just wanted to take one last look at this place before I go."

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah. It's pretty hard saying goodbye to a place you've been in for four years. But hey, now you've got college to look forward to," he said patting me on the back. When he settled down, he seemed to notice Annabeth for the first time. "And who might this beautiful young woman be?"

"Annabeth Chase," she said, reaching out with her free hand to shake his fervently. His eyes fell on our entertwined fingers and he broke out into a grin.

Mr. Gibbs glanced sideways at me and elbowed me playfully in the ribs saying, "Percy you sly dog!" My face turned a deep shade of red, and he broke out into one of his deep belly laughs. When he had finished chortling, he spoke seriously again. "You seem like a wonderful young woman Ms. Chase. Percy here is lucky to have found you."

"She sure is, and I sure am," I said honestly allowing my lips to quirk up at the corners. Now it was her turn to blush.

Interrupting our banter, Mr. Gibbs glanced at his watch, and then said, "I hate to brake up this love-fest Mr. Jackson, but its probably time that you went and joined the rest of your classmates. And you my dear should go find a seat before they are all gone. Congratulations Percy, and see you at the ceremony." With that, he continued on his way down the hall, whistling as he went. For a cool teacher, he could be kind of weird sometimes.

Following Mr. Gibbs' advice, we walked over to the main auditorium and just as we were entering we met Paul. "Hey Percy, Annabeth," he said greeting us. "I was just stepping out to use the Men's room. Percy's mom saved you a seat Annabeth, if you don't already have one."

"Thanks Mr. Blofis," replied Annabeth. He nodded and walked off. If he and my mom were here already it must be later than I thought. I turned to Annabeth suddenly in a hurry.

"I have to go-"

"I know, I know," she said. "I'll be with your mom." She leaned up and kissed my cheek before walking off to look for my mom and the twins.

I was about to head backstage when remembered my cap and gown in the car. Groaning I made my way out of the throng of people in the auditorium and ran back to my car, opening up the back seat to grab my stuff. I flung it over my forearm, closing the door, only to find that I was no longer alone.

"Hello son," I heard from a deep yet calming voice. Suddenly, I could feel a cool breeze that carried with it the scent of the ocean, and I could almost hear seagulls squawking in the distance.

"Dad?" I asked incredulously. Poseidon, God of the Sea, stood next to me wearing his usual fisherman's garb, a smile plastered to his tanned face.

"Oh, don't act too surprised Percy. You didn't think I would miss this important event did you?" he responded patting me on the back.

"Actually... I didn't think the Gods payed much attention to mortal events, even for education," I answered honestly. "Well, maybe Athena would," I added. She had come to Annabeth's graduation ceremony and I had ended up sitting next to her the whole time. It had been pretty awkward, to say the least. But I thought she had only showed up because she was the Goddess of Wisdom; education is kind of her thing.

"I can see why you would think that Percy," said my father, interupting my thoughts. "But it is an important event for you. Now that you have completed the mandatory steps of mortal education, you must choose wisely where you will go from here. And I do care what happens to you, Percy."

It sounded so much like a twisted version of a lecture from my student counselor that I wanted to laugh, but I restrained myself. He was right, though, about the choosing. I had a lot of hard decisions coming my way very soon.

"Thanks Dad," I said hesitantly. "That really means a lot to me." And it did. I knew my Dad liked me enough to visit on my birthdays, but I hadn't realized just how much he actually cared for my well-being until now.

"Also," he continued with a thoughtful look on his face, "you are one of my few children to have lived this long. I would not want to miss anything that I may not see again for a while."

That wasn't exactly reassuring, but I nodded anyway. Looking around nervously I said, "Umm, I kind of have to go soon or I might be late for the ceremony. You can stay if you want to though; I'm sure there are seats left."

Poseidon smiled but shook his head. "Thank you for the offer Percy, but I cannot remain away from my kingdom for very long, and I have already been checking some things out the past day or so. Oceanus never really settled after the war, but he has been particularly restless of late. As you know we were never able to catch all of the titans and there has been an increase in monster activity recently. You may be invulnerable, but do not take your weaknesses lightly. Watch your back Percy." He didn't know how right he was about my back.

I nodded again seriously and the breeze suddenly picked up bringing with it the sound of restless ocean waves. I expected him to vanish, but just as I was turning to go, he called my name. "Percy? One last warning. I have had a strange feeling since I arrived. I am neither the God of Forethought, nor am I the God of Wisdom, but I advise that you tread carefully this day my son." With that he was suddenly gone, blown away by the ocean breeze.

_Today is just not my day,_ I thought, heaving a sigh.

I finished locking up the car and hustled inside the auditorium pushing my way through the small crowd to find myself backstage. "Jackson?" I heard Mr. Allen, my English teacher calling semi sternly. "Where have you been? No, never mind, I don't care. You should have been here 10 minutes ago! Cutting it a bit close aren't you?"

Mr. Allen was a no nonsense teacher, so I didn't even try for an excuse, just mumbling "Yes sir, sorry sir."

He eyed me for another moment, then glancing down at his paper again before telling me, "Go get in line behind Miss Jackman. The ceremony starts in about 5 minutes."

I moved to do as I was told, and things proceeded quite rapidly after that. Before I knew it, Allison Jackman was being called and then I moved to the front of the line. "Perseus Jackson," said the Principal and I swallowed thickly. I steeled my nerves and then walked out onto the stage to receive my diploma, to the chorus of courteous clapping and a few hoots and hollers from the friends I had managed to make in the last three years here.

I shook the principals hand as I scanned the crowd seeking out my family and Annabeth. Before I could find them, a strangely familiar man in the back caught my eye. He was wearing a long black trench-coat with the collar turned up, and it seemed like I was the only one that noticed he was there. He smiled at me, not very nicely I might add, and winked before turning and exiting through the side door. I continued skimming the crowd and when I found Annabeth my face must have said something was wrong, because she frowned and her eyebrows turned down in concern. Before my mother could see I put on my best fake smile and she smiled back, though Annabeth wasn't fooled. _Later_, she mouthed. I nodded slightly while continuing to grin at my family. The Principal patted me on the back and leaned in to whisper into my ear with a smile, "Wipe that goofy grin off of your face and move on. You're holding up the ceremony."

I continued to smile, but did as he said going over to my spot next to Allison. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur as I contemplated who that man might be. I believed he was connected to my other life, seeing as no one else acknowledged his presence, yet I couldn't place him in my memory. The way he grinned at me was not friendly, so I'm assuming he was an enemy. I had made many over the course of my life as a demigod, so it didn't really decrease the number of people he could be. I wasn't paying attention to what was being said by the Principal, so I only knew the ceremony was just about done when all of my classmates stood up around me. I hurried to comply and caught the end of the speech.

"- now proud to present to you, Goode High School's graduating class of 2011." Everyone clapped and cheered as we threw our caps into the air, as was customary for graduates. We all broke up to find our respective family members. I went with the flow of traffic as people pushed and shoved past me and exchanged hand-shakes with a few of my friends that I passed. I was taller than most of the people there so I lifted my head and stood on my toes in an attempt to find my family, and I spotted Paul at the same time he saw me. We were separated by a sea of people, so he motioned for me to meet up with him and the others outside the main doors. I nodded and he disappeared into the steady flow of people.

I began making my way towards the closest exit, and for the moment forgot about the strange man and attempted to be happy for my family. This was supposed to be a day of celebration so I promised myself I wouldn't let anything ruin today for me or anyone else. I finally got through a side door and started walking around to the main doors in the fading light of dusk. The ceremony must have lasted about 2 hours for it to get this late. I turned the corner to find all the people of the auditorium now outside, but not nearly as crowded, and I found my family and Annabeth quickly.

When I reached them I could see that my mom was smiling widely though her eyes were a little wet. She gave me a huge hug and wouldn't let me go for a few moments as she said, "Oh Percy, I'm so proud of you!"

"Mooooom..." I said blushing. She released me still smiling.

"I'm sorry Percy, but I always worried that you might not make it this far, what with your dyslexia and your dangerous quests." My mother was starting to get weepy again so Paul put his arm around her shoulders.

He smiled warmly at me saying, "Congratulations Percy. You've had some tough times, but I knew you could make it."

I thanked him and then felt a presence next to me, right before a warm pair of soft lips pressed against my cheek. "I have to agree with your mom Seaweed Brain. I had my doubts; no one with so much kelp in their head could graduate high school! But I'm glad you did," finished Annabeth. I slipped my hand into hers and gave it an appreciative squeeze.

We hung around the front of the auditorium for a little while longer, my mother and Paul socializing with other parents while Annabeth and I watched Adrien and Adara. While we were waiting I decided to change out of my gown. Soon though they came back and my mother got my attention saying, "Well Percy we should get going soon. I want to prepare the food before it gets too-"

She was suddenly cut off as we felt the ground tremble for a second, and all the people in the parking lot quieted before it stopped. Earthquakes in New York were almost unheard of, so this was kind of weird. But stranger things had happened before, so after a few moments of silence, people started talking again. Everyone was just returning to their conversations, and I was about to speak up when there was another tremor. This time everyone remained quiet after it stopped and began looking around at each other. A few seconds later, another tremor, this time slightly more powerful. Three consecutive earthquakes in New York City? It seemed impossible, yet a second later another rumble through the ground. I traded a quick look with Annabeth. I didn't think this was a natural occurrence and neither did she.

Another tremble passed, and people began panicing. My mother and Paul had pulled the twins protectively in between them, and my mom looked at me worriedly. The tremors were becoming stronger and less time was passing between them. What could this unseen threat be? As if answering my call a giant humanoid monster came into view down the street. It was almost as tall as a house and judging from it's looks I assumed it was a "he." He was walking towards the school, and it didn't take a genius to know what he was after. No one really noticed him, but my mother did and her eyes grew wide.

"Percy-" she said her voice rising in anxiety.

"I know Mom. Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

Paul watched our small exchange before throwing a questing glance at my mother while still keeping a watchful eye on the twins. She leaned up and whispered something in his ear, and his face became worried. I looked at Annabeth who was still watching the giant. He was closer now and the tremulous footsteps were becoming stronger. Every now and then jets of flame would shoot out of his mouth. Oh joy. Even Annabeth looked worried.

"Percy," I heard her say eargently. "Percy I think I know what that is. Or more specifically, who. That's Cacus."

Recognition sparked in my brain and I said, "Didn't he get killed by Hercules?"

"Yes but he's a monster Percy. You know they just reform and attack again. But why now? I mean, no one has really seen him since he was destroyed. It must have taken great power to awaken him." Her voice remained steady, but he could see that she was nervous.

All around us people were panicking and huddling together trying to figure out what was going on. Cacus had reached the end of the parking lot and he bellowed out in rumbling growl, "Perseus Jackson! Come to me if you are not a coward. Or do I have to harm all these people to make you come out?"

"Mom, Paul, go around to the other side of the building. I can deal with him, but I don't want to have to worry about you guys too." My mom was about to protest when the twins began whimpering and crying. They were pointing towards Cacus. I guess they could see through the mist too. My mother took one last look at me and nodded. When they walked off, I took out Riptide, quickly uncapping it before starting off towards Cacus. I had to get away from my family so that they wouldn't get drawn in.

Before I got far, I heard quick footsteps behind me and I turned to find Annabeth jogging up to me, knife in hand. "Wait up Seaweed Brain!" When she reached me she smirked, her former fear nowhere to be found. "You didn't think I would miss out on the fun did you?"

Exasperated I frowned saying, "Annabeth, please stay with my mom."

She frowned back and began objecting before I cut her off, "I want you to protect them. Besides, I'm invulnerable. Why risk getting hurt?" It was a lame excuse, and we both knew it, so I continued in a softer voice, "Please Wise Girl. I don't want to worry about them while I'm fighting. I don't want to worry about you either. Please do this for me."

She glared at me for a second longer and then pulled me in for a swift, yet passionate, kiss. "You so owe me one, Seaweed Brain. And don't even think about getting hurt while you're in debt. Be careful Percy. And remember his skin is too tough to be pierced by even celestial bronze." When she finished she turned back and ran off to find my family, leaving me alone to face the giant beast.

Unhindered with worry for my loved ones, I again headed straight for Cacus. He spotted me and began to laugh. "So this is the great invulnerable hero that defeated Kronos. Hah! We'll see how invulnerable you are when I bathe you in fire and squash you like yesterday's lunch!"

He pulled a small tree up from the ground and swung it at me like a club, but I was ready and ducked under it. I continued on, running now and trying to come up with a plan. I couldn't pierce his normal skin, so the only vulnerable part of him would be his eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. But how was I supposed to get to the top of a giant?

Cacus swung at me again and this time as I ducked a stray branch caught the back of my shirt and raked across my back dangerously close to my weak spot. It didn't hurt of course, but I made a mental note to be more careful. Annoyed now, Cacus held one end of the tree up to his face and blew out a thick stream of fire lighting the thin leaves and branches into a blazing inferno.

The whole fire thing worried me a little. If my whole body was engulfed in flames, that would mean my back would be on fire too, and well...that would be bad. Also the flames couldn't hurt me, but I could still feel the heat, and it still made me uncomfortable. I knew I had to be very cautious with this opponent.

Suddenly Cacus looked away from me for a second and to my right, I noticed a group of adult men and some older boys I recognized to be graduates coming closer. I had totally forgotten about all the people! Groaning I thought_, Oh no! I should have lured him farther away._ I don't know what all these people thought was going on, but I'm sure it was very confusing. _These guys must be coming over here to take a closer look_, I realized.

I lurched to a stop and instead of running towards Cacus I started running towards them waving my arms and yelling. When they saw me they looked confused and I started yelling for them to run while pointing back towards the school. I was so focused on getting them away that I didn't notice Cacus swinging his deadly tree until it was too late. I dove for cover but I couldn't dodge it completely. A few thick branches caught my side and my shoulder and I went flying onto the hood of a car. Leaving a 'Percy' sized indent, I pulled myself up and shook my head.

Those guys were now looking from me to Cacus with wide eyes, and I don't know what they saw, but it must have been something scary, because they swiftly turned and made their way back to the school. Before I could lose Cacus' attention again I began running towards his feet again. Getting hit by a few of those flaming branches had given me an idea. Just as I thought he swung at me again. This time instead of dodging it, I ducked only slightly and as the flaming branches passed by I stuck my hand into the inferno and held on. The heat was really uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt. Cacus didn't see what I had done, so he began looking around to see where he had knocked me to.

Just as he brought the club back up to his head I let go and grabbed onto his hair before I could fall too far. Cacus felt me and shook his head roughly, causing me to lose my grip on Riptide. I knew it would reappear in my pocket soon, but until then I had to hold on for dear life. When I didn't immediately fall off, Cacus howled in fury flinging away the flaming tree. It hit the side of the auditorium with a loud crash and broke through the wall, creating a small hole. I hoped no one was inside. I used all my strength and skill and barely managed to climb towards his left eye. Holding on to his rough eyelashes as he swung his head this way and that, I reached into my pocket to find Riptide, sitting there as if it had never left. I gripped it in myy right hand and pulled the cap of with my teeth. As Cacus saw the sword elongating he shook his head even more furiously roaring in rage. Once Riptide had grown to is full height I carefully aimed at his eye as I was flipped this way and that. Gritting my teeth I slammed my sword into his eye sinking it in to the hilt.

"Curse you Perseus!" he screamed into the sky before evaporating into a pile of dust. My satisfaction was brief, because no sooner did I start smiling, when I realized I was now in empty air, and began hurtling towards the ground. I sighed as I neared the ground and prepared for impact. When I slammed into the ground it didn't hurt, but it was a pain in the but being stuck in a little dent I had made.

"Percy!" I heard Annabeth call as she ran up to me, followed closely by my mother and Paul towing the twins. With difficulty, I sat up and began brushing myself off. Once she saw I was okay, my mother breathed a sigh of relief and Annabeth rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

They helped me get the rest of the way out of my little hole, and that's when I noticed some people pointing toward us and talking. "Uhh guys? I think we should scram before the cops and firefighters show up." I could already hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance, and I did not want to stick around to be questioned.

My mom, in an effort to save the evening, smoothed down her skirt and her hair before saying, "Well I guess we can just continue on with dinner. Annabeth, would you still like to come over?"

Before she could reply, I answered for her. "Sorry Mom. I think we'll just have to have a quick dinner tonight. Annabeth and I are going to camp early this summer."

Her face fell slightly but she nodded in understanding. We promised to head straight home, and then split up to go to our cars. As I lead Annabeth back to the car, I couldn't help thinking that this must have been one of the most not normal graduation days of all time.

Welcome to my life.

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**A/N: So what'd you guys think? Please leave me some reviews! I NEED your feedback. I hope you didn't think i drew it out too long. I just didn't want to skim over seemingly unimportant details. There may be a lot of grammer mistakes and I know I use "as" and "before" WAY too much, but I just want to get this up before you guys bite my head off. I'll probably come back after not looking at it for a couple of days and edit everything to perfection. I finally figured out several ways to interperet the prophecy and they all lean towards a more symbolic interpretation, but I'm still deciding which one I should go for. Anyways I hope you guys liked the EXTRA LONG chapter because I don't think I'll be able to get another one up in less than a week. I still have several projects due and finals are next week. ARGH! I'll try to get something up this weekend, but its doubtful, and if there's nothing up by monday, its a safe bet that there won't be anything until at least next Friday. Thanks again guys and PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: WOW**

**It's been a fairly long time since I've updated, and for that I'm really sorry. I had summer school and other stuff I needed to do, and I've just been busy with life. And, well, its kinda hard to fit in writing a fanfic and an original fic all at the same time. Plus now that school's starting again, I'm the stage manager for my high school's play and I'm on the mock trial team. Add in 3 honors classes and an AP and you've got a recipe for disaster. Tough Stuff. **

**This is not meant to be a pity party or to make excuses. I state only facts and reasons. I will admit though, I've been pretty lazy too. But it's because I haven't been motivated. And I would rather wait a while and give you a great chapter, than update really quick and give you short sucky chapters. So from now on my updates will be kind of irregular, but I promise you I'll update as soon as I finish a chapter. Don't hate me! **

**Anyways, I would highly advise all of you to reread the first three chapters, or at least the first two, because I edited them and added a couple things that will come up late in this chapter, so you probably won't understnad unless you reread! **

**Sorry again guys, but here's the chapter. **

**P.S. Yay! More Percabeth! I promise the whole story won't be centered around it, but I'm a sucker for it so their will be quite a bit.**

**P.P.S. OH and nice job for those of you that got my reference to PoTC. "Mr. Gibbs!"**

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Chapter 4: I Have a Bittersweet Reunion

The ride back to my house was silent for a time, as I focused on the road and Annabeth stared out the window. Before long she sighed, and then turned to me muttering something.

Pulled out of my mindlessness, I asked, "What?"

Exasperated, she said, louder this time, "Is there something you need to tell me Percy?"

"What?" I said again, confused this time. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know Seaweed Brain, why don't you tell me. Because you didn't seem too surprised when Cacus came charging down the street." Her voice had begun to rise and she turned to stare angrily back out the window.

What had gotten into her? She hadn't looked angry earlier, but maybe she just didn't want to say anything in front of my mom. "Are you suggesting something?"

She whipped her head around to stare directly at me again. "Maybe. Did you know Cacus was going to come today? Because it sure as hell seemed like it!"

Annoyance fluttered through me and my own temper flared. I quickly pulled the car to the side of the road and killed the engine before I turned and met her accusatory glare with one of my own. "What the hell Annabeth? Are you trying to say that I had something to do with this? Because yeah, I would totally plan something to ruin my graduation, and potentially kill people just to get out of dinner with my mom. Because I've suddenly become great friends with monsters!" Sarcasm and venom dripped off of my words.

"What? No, that's not what I-" she stopped and her voice seemed hesitant. She sighed deeply before going on. "Look I just feel like you knew something might happen today, and you didn't tell me. I mean its not like we get attacked by monsters everyday now, but you still had Riptide with you. How did you know you would need it today?" Her voice was still hard, but it had lost some of it's heat.

After my initial explosion, I was a little calmer as well. "I didn't know for sure that something would happen. I just got a weird call from Chiron this morning, and I talked to my dad for a few minutes before graduation. They both warned me that something out of the ordinary is going on, but I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to attack me." I paused and added, "Speaking of which, you had your knife on you as well. You didn't know you'd need it, did you? What'd you do with it anyway?" I gave her a once over and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

She blushed. "You don't need to know. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean its not there." Her blush deepened and then she turned on me again, changing the subject. "So then, why didn't you tell me anything? Even if you didn't think anything of it, it would have been nice to know," she stated.

"One, because I thought Chiron might have called you already, and two, because I didn't have time to see you after my dad talked to me. I was already running late," I explained.

I paused to let her take it all in, my anger all but evaporated. After a few moments she frowned but nodded. I reached forward to start the car again, but her voice cut through the darkness. "Sorry Seaweed Brain. For jumping down your throat. I just-" she paused. "I was just looking forward to spending time with you before we went back to camp. No more worries about graduation or school or anything, just you and me visiting Washington D.C., hanging at the beach, going to the movies. It would have been nice before we had to start worrying about camp, and Olympus, and next year. I mean, you haven't even decided if you want to go to college let alone where, and I'm going off to Yale next year. It's all just really complicated, and... it would have been nice to take a break." When she finished she heaved another deep sigh and turned away from me.

I couldn't really say anything at first because she was absolutely right. These would be our last normal days together, at least for now, but it had kind of been cut short. We didn't really _have _to go back to camp, but it was a matter of security. These things had all occurred to me, but I was more worried about our safety than anything. Well not _our _safety per se but Annabeth would never stand for letting me just worry about her. Anyway, I guess it had hit Annabeth a little harder. The silence seemed to stretch on forever until I reached my hand over and grasped her chin forcing her to look me in the eyes. Before I said anything I stared deep into her stormy gray eyes and pulled her into a slow sensuous kiss. I tried to convey all of my comfort and tenderness and love in that kiss, and when we broke apart, we were both breathing a little heavier. I caught my breath and in a deliberate voice I told her, "I love you, and I'm not going anywhere. Don't ever forget that."

She held my gaze for a few more seconds and answered, "I love you, too. Thanks Seaweed Brain. I really needed that."

She gave me a small smile which I returned with fervor. "Anytime. But I think we should get going," I said, glancing at the clock. I grinned sheepishly. "If we're too late, my mom and Paul will probably start freaking out."

The moment over, I started the car and things returned to normal, whatever that was. The rest of the ride was filled with light banter, though we both knew it was just to hide the tense undercurrent. I could feel Annabeth scanning the streets around us as we sped down the crowded streets of New York. It didn't take long to reach my house and my mother gave us both huge hugs of relief as we walked through the door.

My mom had managed to scrape together a meager dinner, so we sat around the table, eating in an apprehensive silence. As if sensing the awkward tension, Adrian and Adara started talking. It was mostly gibberish and they never finished a conversation with the same person, but it served its purpose. The anxious mood was lightened slightly and we were able to have a somewhat enjoyable dinner, though Annabeth and I took turns glancing out the nearest windows.

Once everyone was done eating and I had helped my mom clean up, the gloominess returned and my mother looked at me with sad yet understanding eyes. She pulled me into a fierce hug and I wrapped my arms around her in turn. We stayed like that for a long time and my mom choked out, "I'm so proud of you Percy. For everything. You're a great kid."

I could tell she was on the verge of tears so I patted her awkwardly on the back. "Thanks mom. I'm sorry I'm leaving so quick. This isnt exactly how I pictured our goodbye."

"It's not your fault sweetie. These things just happen and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Yeah I guess."

I kissed my mom's forehead and then ran upstairs to grab my bags and give her a moment to regain her composure. Upon my return downstairs I found Annabeth playing with my siblings and Paul and my mom sitting together on the couch. When they saw me, they began to rise but I stopped them.

"Before we go I'm gonna try and contact Chiron quickly through an Iris Message. I don't know if it will work, but I don't know the camp phone number." As I walked into the kitchen I could feel Annabeth close behind me. I filled up the sink with water and then, reciting the incantation, dropped a golden drachma into the small pool. For a second i though it would work as a fountain of spray shot up from the sink in a curtain and then a message slowly shimmered into place and an automated woman's voice began speaking.

_We are sorry, but the goddess Iris is very busy at the moment, and we are experiencing magical difficulties. If your message does not go through momentarily, then please try again later._

We waited a few moments, and when it was clear that nothing was going to happen, I waved my hand through the spray, and the water fell limp back into the sink. My eyebrows came together as I wondered what could do this to Iris and I could practically feel Annabeth's frown as she contemplated the same thing.

We reentered the living room in silence and I could tell that my mother and Paul had been listening in. I stepped to the door next to my bags and picked up both my brother and sister, giving them my best stern expression. "You guys better be good okay? Listen to Mama and Pappy." Then I gave them both huge raspberries and they started giggling and bonking me oon the head with their toys.

Before I could set them down, Adara asked, "Where you go Percy?" I smiled at how she couldn't make the "r" sound. In exactly the same way, Adrian added, "Yeah big brother, where you go?"

I gave them a sad smile and answered, "I have to go away for a little while."

I put them down and Adara spoke up again. "You come back?"

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed as everyone waited to here my answer. I looked around the room at my mom, Paul, and then Annabeth in turn, until Adrian tugged on my pants leg. I looked down to see them staring expectantly up at me. I paused though there was really no question as to what I would do.

"Yeah," I said, "I'll definitely be back." It was as if the room itself was exhaling tension as the awkwardness faded.

Satisfied the twins turned away from me and ran to Annabeth, each gripping one of her legs in a hug. "You go too Annie?" My lips quirked at the thought that they were probably the only people who could get away with calling her that unscathed.

She seemed surprised and bewildered at their affection, but she laughed lightly and her face turned soft. "Yeah I have to go. But I'll be back with Percy."

She leaned down and patted both of their heads and muttered a Greek blessing softly. They let her go, and, losing interest, returned to playing. Now it was my mothers turn to say goodbye and I could see the waterworks that she was trying to hold back, so I just gripped her in a bear hug. "Don't worry Mom. This is just like any summer. I'll be back before you know it." She nodded and let me go managing a smile before turning to Annabeth and giving her a hug as well.

While they were saying goodbye, Paul stepped up and we exchanged grips. "Take care Percy. And remember what happened to Achilles. Don't forget your weaknesses."

This was slightly unexpected from him, but I only nodded and thanked him. Annabeth and I stood together by the door, and my mother looked us both up and down. I thought she would tell Annabeth to take care of me again, like she was my babysitter, but this time she only said, "Take care of each other, you two. Don't do anything stupid." This time she looked more at me, but I was still glad she treated me like an equal.

Annabeth stepped around me and out the door as I picked up my bags and followed suit. Just as I was stepping off the front porch, I threw a smile over my shoulder at my family before turning and heading off into the fading light.

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I threw my bags into the backseat of the car and was about to get into the driver's seat when Annabeth stopped me.

"Umm, Seaweed Brain, you forgot to change your shirt. Are you sure you want to walk around in that?" she reminded me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I remembered the singed back of my dress shirt and frowned. Shrugging I pulled off my tie, unbuttoned the shirt and pulled it off, throwing it into the trunk. Standing there I was sure I looked silly in slacks and a white t-shirt, which was what I was wearing under my nice one. Annabeth rolled her eyes and just said, "Get in."

"So where are we headed?" I asked as I started the car.

"Well, I'm not sure. I want to go pick up my stuff but I don't know if we should risk it." She frowned in discontent.

I knew clothes didn't mean a lot, but it would suck for her to have to wear hand me downs and other left over clothes at camp. Plus I wanted to make up for missing our mini vacation. "Don't worry so much. We'll be fine," I assured her, pulling into traffic.

The drive seemed longer than usual, and it was silent other than the radio which Annabeth constantly fiddled with, and the occasional comments we made on trivial things. Upon reaching the parking lot I was grateful for its emptiness and I pulled into a spot right next to the dorm. The sooner we got in and out, the better.

I was tempted to tell Annabeth to stay in the car, but then I didn't want to leave her alone so we ran together into the office. The same lady was sitting at the desk so I assumed we could just go up, but she stopped us. "You know the rule sweetie. No boys allowed past 6:00." I glanced at the clock and it read 6:21.

"We're just going to pick up her stuff," I explained.

"Well then why doesn't the young lady just do it herself?" I glanced at Annabeth desperately and the lady sighed. "Fine. But if you aren't back in five minutes I'm coming up there no matter what you two are doing." I blushed and I was sure Annabeth was too, but we nodded.

I opted for us to go up the stairs instead, not wishing to get stuck in a cramped elevator if something happened. Walking quietly down the hall, Annabeth pulled out her key and when we reached it, opened her door. Meg was fast asleep on the little couch between their beds and she woke with a start.

"Huh, what- Oh. Hey," she greeted Annabeth and then stood up and yawned walking towards her bed. She took a glance at the clock and then looked over at me in the doorway. "How'd you get by the matron?"

"I didn't. She let me go 'cause we're just here to pick up her stuff," I answered as I picked up Annabeth's backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Annabeth handed me a thick gym bag and her suitcase, picking up the only thing left: her laptop bag. She had more stuff than me, since she wasn't coming back here anymore.

Meg frowned. "What? I thought you weren't leaving until tomorrow?"

Annabeth and I glanced at each other. "Something came up," she said apologetically.

She leaned over and Meg gave her a huge hug. She was cold to me, but I knew Meg and Annabeth got along pretty well. Then she looked at me and lifted her chin in a jerky motion of acknowledgment. "See you Jackson."

I nodded back at her and walked out of the room, Annabeth close on my heels. Passing the matron, I tipped my head and she smiled at us waving goodbye. I shoved Annabeth's stuff into the trunk area of the car and then quickly hopped in.

It was pretty dark out now, and it made me uneasy. Usually I wasn't so jumpy after a monster attack, but all this weird stuff was happening at the same time, and I really didn't think it was a coincidence. Thanking the gods that I filled my gas tank up last night, we made our way out of the city, and the farther away we got, the less traffic there was until the road was all but empty apart from the occasional car. I yawned and told Annabeth to try and get some rest since it was getting pretty late, but she shook her head. We were both wound up pretty tight so it didn't surprise me.

To try and get my min off of things, I began thinking about what Chiron has told me. Where could these demigods and their guides have gone if they weren't dead? My mind swirled around the dilemma for the longest time before an idea came to me, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. The monster attacks, the disappearing half-bloods and satyrs. It all pointed to the same thing. Peeking at Annabeth, I noted her tense expression and decided to just tell her along with the rest of the campers when we got there.

It began raining, getting steadily heavier until it was pouring down buckets. My senses went on hyper alert and Annabeth slipped her fingers into my hand giving it a squeeze. I didn't risk a glance away from the road, but we both know that it doesn't usually rain like this in late May. Something was up. Plus this reminded me eerily of the night of my first trip to camp. Not wanting to relive that particular memory, I focused on the road, praying to the gods that nothing would happen. Relief filled me as I began recognizing land marks, signifying our nearness to Camp Half-Blood. If it wasn't so dark and rainy out, I was sure I could have seen Thalia's tree a few miles away.

A thought occurred to me and I asked Annabeth, "Where am I supposed to put my car? I can't just leave it on the side of the road."

She stared at me like I was inept. "We have a small Parking structure you know..."

"We do?" I had never realized it.

She rolled her eyes. "Where do you think we keep the vans? And the camp cars? And the older campers' cars?" It had never occurred to me before now, but I did kind of wonder where they were kept.

"Just go a little past Half-Blood hill and there will be a small dirt road to your left. Follow it and you should come right up to the parking cover. it used to just be a dirt parking lot, but since we were renovating camp anyway, I decided to add the canopy for better protection against the elements." She was kind of babbling, but I decided not to stop her.

I followed her instructions and we pull into this dirt clearing where there were several cars and a few vans parked under a stone awning. It kind of reminded me of the first floor of a parking garage: a few stone pillars and a sturdy roof. The rest was open space. Most of the parking spots were open so I picked one and we got out. Since it was raining I decided I would just magically dry any wet things when we got under cover, but when I looked around I realized it wasn't raining a few feet past the edges of the dirt space.

Annabeth saw my confused expression and explained, "Technically this is camp property. But it's not actually on the grounds, so its not protected by the weather spell. There should be a path to your left somewhere that leads to the back of the Big House."

Nodding I picked up our backpacks, which was all we needed right now, and started following her towards camp. We briefly passed through the rain before we crossed the camp border and then as we neared the Big House I could hear the familiar songs we usually sang around the campfire. Calculating the time it took to get here from the time we left, I assumed it was a few minutes till 9. They must be about to finish up and go to bed, and I silently thanked the gods again that we hadn't arrived too late. I didn't want to walk into camp and get eaten by harpies. Well figuratively anyway, since I was invulnerable.

I picked up my pace and passed up Annabeth, catching her hand as I passed and pulling her along. I really wanted to get to the camp fire before they were sent off to bed. It would be much easier to address everyone about my ideas if they were all together. Most of the summer campers weren't due to arrive for another week or so, but at least I could throw my ideas out there for Chiron and the year-round campers.

Our approach was quiet and any noise we made was drowned out by the singing. We were cloaked in darkness, so no one really saw us until we stepped into the light of the campfire. I looked around noticing some new campers, some old, and a few of my friends. It took a second for them to notice us standing there, but then the singing stopped and there were some surprised gasps, a few "hey"s, and even a few whistles, whether at Annabeth's dress or at our clasped hands. I rolled my eyes. Did I mention how young most of the newer campers were? Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if it was our own old camp friends that were jeering.

Chiron broke out from the crowd, his eyebrows raised, but not much else on his face showing surprise. Training heros for centuries must have made it pretty hard to surprise him. Next to catch my eye was Nico ever alone in his dark outfit and brooding expressions. He smiled slightly at me and nodded, not looking all that surprised either. Then Grover bleated at us from my right and made his way around the campers he was sitting with.

He had grown since I had last seen him and but he looked slightly younger than me now, probably the result of his decelerated growth rate. I gave Annabeth a huge bear hug, actually lifting her feet off the ground and then he came over to pat me on the back. We didn't exchange any words but I could tell he was happy to see us. It was slightly awkward for a time until Chiron broke the silence.

"Percy, Annabeth," he greeted us. "What brings you here so early, er, late? I assume this isn't purely a social visit."

I looked at Annabeth and she shrugged, slightly nodding. I took a deep breath and spoke to everyone at the campfire. "I think...I think I figured out where all of the missing demigods and satyrs are disappearing to. And I think I have a plan to get them back."

The only thing that followed was silence. Then a sarcastic voice, that I realized was Nico, broke the spell.

"Well its about time. I was starting to get bored."

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**Ha! Cliffie! Those of you who haven't gone back to read the revised versions of the first chapters might be a little confused by the ending, but other than that, what'd ya think? Good, bad, so-so, horrible? I hope you didn't think I was dragging out the goodbyes too much. Yeah I know it was sappy but eh. Deal with it. But whatever you think, please hit the review button and leave me a tiny comment! Thanks to those of you who commented last time**

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**A couple things I'd like to address for those of you who care to read this:**

**At the beginning of the chapter, Annabeth may seem a little spazzy since she was freaking out about their mini vacation ending or whatever. If you think this is out of character a little I can understand. But my reasoning is that she just graduated high school. Yes she's used to being attacked by monsters and not living a normal life. But when you graduate, you're essentially leaving behind your childhood. It's time to grow up. College is a big step and it's reasonable to assume that she would want a break. I can kind of relate to her because graduation for me isn't too far off either and it gets you thinking. Anyway, I just wanted to let you I realized what I was doing. **

**And secondly, I wanted to say a bit about the goodbye scene. I said a bit about dragging it on at the top, but I just wanted to make it realistic. Not only is Sally worried for Percy, but she also doesn't know if he's gonna come back to live with her anymore. Again, he's graduating and growing up. He's been accepted into a few colleges, but he doesn't even know if he's gonna go, or stay at camp half-blood, or what, so it's not easy for her to say goodbye to this boy she's raised for 18 years. Even though the main focus of the story isn't about the college thing, it is something I'd like to keep as a running side story. **

**So thanks for those who decided to read my long, and probably unnecessary, Author's note. Again, my posts wont exactly be regular, but hopefully I finish this next chapter soon. I already know whats gonna happen in it. =)**

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**And no more unnecessarily long A/Ns!!!**


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